oldgto

What is a good cleaner to use to remove dust & dirt before primer, that will not soak into the fiberglass, or leave a film or residue? Will regular wax & grease remover work? What about acetone or lacquer thinner?

markids77

For simple dust, wash it with Dawn dish soap and let dry 24-48 hours. If you suspect ANY contamination at all, Acetone is good, wax and grease remover works well also. Allow an hour flash with either befor paint.

porchdog

dawn soap or wax and grease remover. do not use lacquer thinner on fiberglass.

olbear1962

I used Prepsol cleans everything off, dries fast, designed just for this purpose.

porchdog

exactly , proper product for the job . any quality wax and grease remover designed for cleaning.

zwede

We used dawn and didn't have any problems. Just a little bit in a bucket of water. Scrub it good with a scotch brite. Hose off and let sit at least 24 hours, preferably in the sun.

CF6873

Actually, Prepsol Dupont 3919S isn not the recommended wash before paint or primer. It is meant to be used before on painted panels before sanding to remove wax, grease and tar. 3939S Surface cleaner or 3901S Final Clean would be a better choice.

If I used Dawn I would want to rinse it with clean water to remove any soapy residue that could soak into the glass and inhibit adhesion.

porchdog

it's just like dx330. it is a little harsher and dries slower . it is referred to as first clean. it is fine for cleaning fiberglass just be sure to give it plenty of time to flash off. dawn soap and water is one of the best to use as it will lift any oil residue and you can rinse it away. give it plenty of time to dry also.

CF6873

Not to be critical but Prep Sol 3919S and First Kleen 3900S are two different products and both are recommended to be used prior to sanding.

As I stated above 3901S or 3939S would be better choices but there is a warning stating that using any solvent on fiberglass can create static and potentially cause a flash fire.

Craig

oldgto

Well, a flash fire would be less than desirable, LOL!
I`m liking the Dawn dish soap idea, cheap and effective. I don`t believe we have much other than dust to remove.

porchdog

any solvent used on fiberglass is the same hazard. static discharge can create a spark so it really doesn't matter which is used . this is why i like dawn soap and water. but i do use dx330 from time to time which is a first clean solvent. they dry much slower. a cleaner for use during paint will be a little less harsh and dry much faster.

Scott Marzahl

SPI water base cleaner and their Alcohol/Acetone cleaner works great.

porchdog

i use the spi water base a lot also. works as well as dawn soap and water. i use it to clean my epoxy just before color.

oldgto

Does the SPI also require a long drying time before primer like the Dawn soap.... 24 hrs? Acetone seems to evaporate rather quickly in comparison.

oldgto

Update....
Primer, round one....
The Dawn worked GREAT! And the first coat of epoxy primer has been applied. Tomorrow, we start block sanding.

JimmyS5600

Looks good,nice work

redvtt

Dawn dish soap, specifically, does not leave any residue if the work was rinsed properly. We've used it for years, best degreaser around.